Backpack with multiple beverage container holders

ABSTRACT

A backpack arranged to enable the transport of a plurality of beverage containers. The backpack includes an insulated interior and a plurality of pouches attached to the interior walls of the backpack. Each pouch is attached to either or both of the interior of the front section and the rear section of the backpack. The pouch includes a retainer ring and a base support. The beverage container can be inserted and removed from the pouch and the pouch secures the container in place while the beverage container is transported. The insulative nature of the backpack and the pouches enables maintaining the beverage at a desired temperature for an extended period.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to backpacks and devices for holding beverage containers. More particularly, the present invention relates to backpacks modified to enable the wearer to carry multiple beverage containers, such as cans or bottles, in the backpack.

2. Description of the Prior Art

There has been and continues to be great interest in the transport of beverages by individuals to locations of interest. As just one example, it is a popular activity to take cold drinks of all types in containers of different sizes and shapes to the beach. A person can enjoy the beverage at a location where there is otherwise no refrigerator or snack shack conveniently located nearby. However, there is also interest in maintaining the beverage at a desired temperature long enough to be consumed when desired. That often requires the transport of the beverage with a cooling component, such as ice. The process of transporting the beverage and the coolant can be a chore and certainly inconvenient, particularly when multiple beverage containers are moved. Coolers are the most common form of apparatus used to hold and transport beverage containers and coolant. They end up being heavy and bulky, often requiring several people engaged in the transportation effort.

Of course, people have been using all types of holders to hold beverage containers for transport to locations of interest for consumption at those locations. For example, people place their containers in handbags, shopping bags, duffel bags and most any other sort of bag large enough to hold one or more beverage containers. Unfortunately, the desire to maintain the beverage at a temperature of interest requires the person either to use a container that is well insulated, which generally requires transfer of the beverage from its original container, or the addition of insulation or coolant/warming to the holder. Either option is inconvenient, adds weight to the holder or both. Use of ice within the holder can produce water in undesired locations. The desire to transport one or more beverages while maintaining temperature over time is unfulfilled by these options.

A backpacks is another form of holding structure that is employed to transport beverage containers. The interior well of the backpack is certainly large enough to hold a plurality of containers. Some backpacks have been modified to allow the user to pour a beverage into a container integrated into the backpack and to drink the beverage directly from the container though an appended tube, for example. Such holders can only be used for that purpose and offer no mechanism for holding multiple beverage containers of standard configuration that can be withdrawn and used as intended.

There apparently exists some backpacks that are advertised as providing a means for holding multiple beverage containers. Such products are fabricated with hollow (that is, open) insulated insides. They are simply coolers in the form of backpacks with straps configured for the user to hold the cooler/backpack on the back. The load of any beverage containers within is concentrated at the bottom of the well and so makes transport awkward, with the unbalanced weight and possible shifting of contents within the backpack with movement. Further, it is still necessary to provide a separate temperature regulation mechanism, such as ice, to keep the beverage at a desired temperature. In some instances, the ice must be applied to the exterior of the backpack, which is not convenient and not particularly effective at cooling. Other such products require ice to be placed inside the bag, which takes away the ability to store therein anything that the user would not want to get wet. They lack a self-sustaining cooling feature.

What is needed is a backpack configured to hold therein a plurality of beverage containers. What is also needed is such a backpack that provides improved distribution of the multiple containers so that weight is distributed more evenly for easier transport. What is further needed is such a backpack configured to retain the beverage containers in position during transport to minimize weight shift during movement. Yet further, what is needed is a backpack suitable for beverage container transport that provides for effective insulation of the containers so that they remain at a desired temperature for an extended period without the need to add temperature regulation to the backpack.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a modified backpack configured to hold therein a plurality of beverage containers. The modified backpack provides improved distribution of the multiple containers so that weight is distributed more evenly for easier transport. The backpack is configured to retain the beverage containers in position during transport to minimize weight shift during movement. The backpack of the present invention provides effective insulation of the containers so that they remain at a desired temperature for an extended period without the need to add temperature regulation to the backpack.

These advantages of the present invention are accomplished by the inclusion in the interior of the backpack individual insulated pockets that assist in maintaining container temperature while also allowing the weight of the contents to be distributed evenly throughout the inside of the backpack rather than placed on the bottom of the backpack. The backpack includes a shell of the type that exists for conventional backpacks. That shell can vary in size with the variety of backpack sizes that are available. The inside of the shell is lined with an insulative material layer such as an open-cell neoprene foam material, but not limited thereto, that is permanently or removably attached to the interior of the shell, such as by using Velcro® or by sewing it into place.

A plurality of pouches are permanently or removably attached to the interior of the insulative material. The pouches are distributed throughout the interior of the backpack on front and rear surfaces thereof. The pouches are also fabricated of an insulative material, such as open-cell neoprene foam material. The pouches are sized and shaped to receive therein beverage containers. The containers can be easily inserted into and removed from the pouches. The pouches hold and insulate beverage containers as they wrap around the container, which, along with the insulative material layer, keeps them cool by wrapping around the beverage container. This configuration eliminates the need to insert additional temperature maintaining material, such as ice, into the backpack. That saves space and reduces weight of the backpack.

The use of this invention is for people going to do activities whether it be going to the beach, going to a sporting event, going to a party, going anywhere that you would want to bring a cooler full of cold beverages. This invention gets rid of the task of lugging a bulky cooler around with you and instead allows you to comfortably carry it on your back, leaving your hands free for use. These and other advantages of the modified backpack of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the backpack of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the backpack of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the interior of the front section of the backpack of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the interior of the rear section of the backpack of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION ON THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-4, a backpack 10 of the present invention is a unitary structure formed of a front section 12 attached to a rear section 14. The front section 12 includes an exterior portion 16 and an interior portion 18. The rear section 14 includes an exterior portion 20 and an interior portion 22. The front section 12 and the rear section 14 are fixedly attached to one another at a bottom area 24 of the backpack 10 and extending partially along sides 26 and 28. The front section 12 includes a flap 30 that is separably connectable to flap attachment section 32 of the rear portion 14. The flap 30 may include a zipper for connecting and disconnecting it from the rear section 14 at the flap attachment section 32. The zipper may be moved in a first direction to open the backpack 10 to see the interior portion 18 of the front section 12 and the interior portion 22 of the rear section 14. The zipper may be moved in the opposing direction to close the backpack 10. Interior sections 18 and 22 form an interior of the backpack 10. The backpack 10 may include a loop 11 of the type commonly seen on conventional backpacks to allow storage of the backpack 10 on a hook.

The backpack 10 includes for the front section 12 and the rear section 14 an outer shell 34. The outer shell 34 may be fabricated of any material typically used to make a backpack including, but not limited to, nylon and canvas. The backpack further includes for the front section 12 and the rear section 14 an inner layer 36 fabricated of an insulative material. The insulative material may be a foam insulation, a reflective material or a combination of the two. In an embodiment of the present invention, the inner layer 36 is formed of an insulative foam material and a reflective Aluminum interior skin, wherein the insulative foam material is sandwiched between the outer shell 34 and the interior skin. The components of the inner layer 34 may be permanently or removably affixed to the interior surface of the outer shell 34, such as by using Velcro® for removable attachment, or an adhesive and/or sewing for permanent attachment. The inner layer 36 is selected of material and thickness to keep insulated any beverage located within the interior of the backpack 10.

The backpack 10 further includes a plurality of pouches 38 affixed to the walls of the interior portion 18 of the front section 12 and the interior portion 22 of the rear section 14. Each pouch 38 includes a retaining ring 40 and a base support 42. The retaining ring 40 and the base support 42 are sized and configured to establish a pouch interior 44 within which a beverage container may be placed, the pouch 38 functioning as a beverage container holder. The retaining ring 40 and the base support 42 are further sized and shaped to allow the beverage container to fit snuggly therein to minimize movement while in transport while also allowing a user to withdraw the container relatively easily when ready, wherein the beverage container rests on the base support 42. The retaining ring 40 and the base support 42 are fabricated of material having insulative characteristics and to grasp the container when located therein without too much friction that would make it difficult to insert and extract the container. The pouches 38 may be fabricated of a nonmetallic material such as an insulative foam material but not limited thereto. The pouches 38 may be permanently or removably affixed to the walls of the interior portions 18 and 22 of the front section 12 and the rear section 14 at selectable locations thereof. The pouches 38 may also be affixed to only one of the two sections 12/14 of the backpack 10.

The backpack 10 allows people to attend any sort of activity, wherever located, and transport a plurality of beverage containers with minimal exertion while maintaining the beverage at a desired temperature for an extended period. The backpack eliminates the task of lugging a bulky cooler around and instead allows the user to comfortably carry it on the back, leaving hands free to use for other purposes. It is to be understood that the detailed description of the invention provided herein is not intended to be unduly limiting. Therefore, any reasonable variants are considered to be within the scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A backpack arranged to enable the transport of a plurality of beverage containers, the backpack comprising: a front section including an interior portion and a flap, wherein the interior portion includes an inner layer fabricated of an insulative material; a rear section attached to the front section, wherein the rear section includes an interior portion and wherein the interior portion of the rear section includes an inner layer fabricated of insulative material; and one or more pouches attached to either or both of the interior portion of the front section and the interior portion of the rear section, wherein each of the one or more pouches is configured to removably retain therein a beverage container.
 2. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the inner layer of the interior portion of the front section and the interior portion of the rear section is made of insulative foam.
 3. The backpack of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more pouches is formed of a retaining ring and a base support.
 4. The backpack of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more pouches is fabricated of an insulative foam material. 